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This article, published on Florida Atlantic University’s website — summarizes the findings of a recent study on bullying that was co-authored by a researcher from FAU. While in no way minimizing the problems that bullying causes, it points out that we can do more than simply protect our children from bullying — we can …

The most comprehensive Trauma Care in the Mahoning Valley is found at Alta Behavioral Healthcare. And that care encompasses more than the dedicated Trauma-Focused Therapy offered by Alta. In fact, every employee at Alta has a role in ensuring that the experiences of children in the agency’s Trauma programs will …

Imagine you’re 7 years old. You come home from school; you’re excited to be home, hungry and looking forward to dinner. In a little while, you smell your favorite meal, fried chicken and mashed potatoes, wafting up from the kitchen. Things seem a little tense at dinner tonight, but that’s …

At Alta Behavioral Healthcare we’ve been screening and assessing children, adolescents and young adults for many years. You’d think we’d have it all figured out by now! Actually, we’re pretty good at identifying early warning signs of an emotional problem. But we’ll never measure up to the most talented screeners …

When people think mental health, sometimes they think of scary things. Some people think about mental illness that you see on TV, or they think that something is seriously wrong with their child, or that mental health professionals want to medicate their child after taking one look at them. Many …

Mahoning County Juvenile Court, through a grant from the Department of Justice, has partnered with the Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board and Alta Behavioral Healthcare to help young people who are struggling behaviorally and academically. The Early Warning System [EWS] program is designed to look at factors such …

Everyone can feel sad and moody from time to time, but normally these feelings pass. Feelings that are more intense and long-lasting may be depression. Depression can strike anyone at any age, but it can be particularly hard to deal with during teenage years, which are already difficult in so many ways. Depression is …

Alta Behavioral Healthcare’s UPSTREAM™ Program now has openings for Preschool-age children Kindergarten-second grade Youngstown City School children UPSTREAM is a home-based literacy and social/emotional program to help children from preschool through second grade improve their reading and literacy skills and be socially and emotionally ready to learn. The aim of …

In a blog post a couple of months ago, I spoke of Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs. There are several different categories of ACEs, but two of the most prominent are abuse or neglect suffered by children at the hand of a parent or parents. I recently came across a …

When I was a member of a local gym for many years, there was one sure thing that we regulars could count on — a sudden influx of new gym members in January. We used to joke about it — “Here they come, and they’ll be gone in three weeks!” You …

Some say it’s the time of beautiful, pure white snow, sledding, crackling fires, festive holidays and family get-togethers. Then there are the others who say it’s the black and white season: cold, stark, imprisoned indoors, expensive, and the season of weight gain. I’d have to say I land somewhere in …

How many times have we wanted to tell someone who’s doing something that we feel is wrong or bad for them to “just STOP IT!”? Of course if we did, they typically would look at us like we’re crazy and think to themselves “why should I listen to you?” or …

About one in four children will experience a traumatic event before the age of 16. Some children may develop psychiatric conditions, such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety and a variety of behavioral disorders. Examples of Traumatic Experiences Acute traumatic events (singular or frequent): Sudden or violent loss of …

In my last blog I used a poker analogy and said there was more to come on adverse experiences in children. So, what better way to follow that up than with another poker analogy (and I don’t even play!). Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) is a term used to describe a …

A person who suffers from mental health issues (as well as his or her family) already faces many challenges in attempting to deal with the factors that impact his or her life. But regardless of the individual situation, a common thread that adds an additional burden is the stigma against …